Extension-ladder.



P. F. SWART.

EXTBNSION LADDER.

APPLIOATION rILBD Nov. e, 1912.

1,066,680. Patented July 8,1913.

A //////////////////////W M NESEEE: EN E] g 'lnz' !www m; 0 ATTY PHILIP F. SWART OF BROCKPORT, NEW YORK.

EXTENSION-LADDER.

intense Specfication of Letters Patent.

Pat eited July 8, :1913.

Application filed November 9, 1912. Serial No. 730.342.

le ithnown that L Plllfll' l SwArr. a citizen et the United States. and a resident o'l" Broclqiort, in the County ot Monroe and State ot' New York, have invented a new and improved Extensioli-Ladder, of which the 'following is a specifieation.

This invention relates to extension laddcrs and more especially to that class ot extension hidders in which the lower section comprises a step ladder, and in which there is provided supporting means ndapted to support the step ladder at its upper end in the nsual way and adapted also to 'toi-m :in extension of the ladder so as to praetically double the length thereoi" when used as an ordinary ladder with its upper end engag ing against any suitable support 'tor holding, the laddcr in place.

An in'iportant purpose ot my present invention is to provide an extension ladder ot' the above character in which the parts are so connected together that they may he moved to relative positions adapting theni to use as an extension ladder with the parts extcnd ing in snbstantial alineineit to avoid the serious objection found .in such structures where the upper sections, when used as an extension ladder, are ont ot alinement, with the upper section either to the rear or in 'front of the lower section. h'or this 'reason I provide connecting means ada pted to per` .mit of the parts being relatively positioned to `form a step laddcr and also permittingr their movement to relative positions to comprise an extension ladder but with the parts in alineinent and with the lower cnds ot' the sidcs ot' the upper section engaging outside ot' the upper ends oi? the sides of the lower section.

,Another important purpose ol' my invention is to provide a connccting means hetween the sections ot' the ladder permitting them to occupy the just above mentioned relative positions while at the same time contained entirely within the sides ot the sections o'l the ladder and without any objectionable projections extending; either to the :front or to the rear ot' the si de::. ot the ladder when used as an extension ladder. To ettect this result it is desirable that the seo tions ot' the ladder be connected at points close to their adjacent edges when in relative position to toi-in the step ladder. in order that the eonnecting strap` which l make use of,` ;at 'the lower end o't the upper section when used as an extension ladder to snstain the thrust exerled on the parts and to hold them in alinement may not, when the device is used as a step ]adder,1e :in the way ot a person standing on the upper step.

Another purpose of my present invention, then, is to provide the sections ot such a laddcr with a simple, inexpensive, ellicicnt, positive and reliahle connccting means ot the character just above descril'cd.

Tn carrying out my invention l iay, prel erahly, make use ol? a step ladder section 'l'or the lower section ot the ladder, at the upper end ot' which I provide reintorcing and eon necling emhers adapted to engage around the side members ot' the step ladder in a 'ay to prevent their splitting and adapted, also, to engage over the upper step in a way to lirnly hold the same in place. 'l`hese rein- :lorcing and connecting members may he secired 'in place by means o't screws. I preter, however, to provide them with integrally *t'ormed llexihle tongues adapted to engage through suitahle holes` theretor in the sides ot the step ladder and to he turned down against the inner and adjaccnt sur- :Faces ol? the sides ot the lower section ot the step ladder at their upper ends in such a wa as lo eoprise a sullicient 'tastening or seeuring means tor the connection member, wherebv the connecting inemhers at the upper end ot the lower section may be seeured in place without the use ol" screws by simply hending the inwardly extending tongues over and downwardly on the inner sui-faces ol the sides ot the step ladder.

Coperating with the connecting meinhers at the upper ends ot the lower section ot the step ladder l provide connecting slraps or plal'es engaging around the edges and across the insides of the upper side members at the points where the comections are to be made with the lower section. The parts ol the ladder are pivolally connected by a bolt exlending through these last uan'ed plates and the connecting and rein'torcin plates ut the upper end l? and just under the upper step ot the lower section. Across the lower end ot' the upper section, when in position to *form an extension ladder l provide a strap engaging around and extending across and between the sides ot the npper section and adapted lo eng'age part way around the. sides of and extend across the front ot the lower section just under the first step below the upper step thereozt.

The accompanying drawings illustrating my invention are as follow&-

Figure l is a side view of the ladder when used as a step ladder. Fig. 2 is a side View of the ladder when used as an extension ladder. Fig. 3 is a front View of the ladder as seen from the left with reference to Fig. l. Fig. -Lt shows the latch nechanism for holding the parts in extended position. In this figure the first step below the upper step is seen in section and the strap engaging around the lower end of the upper section of the ladder, when in eXtended position, is seen in section and the latch is seen in engagement with this strap for 'holding the parts of the ladder in extended position. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the outer ends of the upper section and shows the strap engaging around, across and between the same. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of the upper end of the lower section of the ladd-er, and shows the method of securing the eonnecting means at the upper end of the lower section as seen from the inside of the ladder. Fig. 7 shows a part of the lower end of the lower section of the ladder with the right hand connecting .member secured in place thereon. F ig. 8 shows, in a transverse sectional view taken through the sides of the ladder on the line ;c -y of Fig. 2 and at the point of their pivotal connection, the relative arrangement of the parts for pivotally connecting the upper and lower sections of the ladder.

Similar parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the 'drawings, A is the lower section of the ladder having the side members a and the steps or treads t secured therein in the usual way.

At B is seen 'the rear or upper section of the ladder having the side members b and the rungs r secured therein in the usual way. At the upper end of the lower section and 011 each side thereof there is provided a reinforcing and connecting member E having a fiange e at its upper end adapted to engage over the upper tread and having a similar fiange e adapted to engage around the rear edge of a side a and to be formed down against the sides thereof as indicated in Figs. G, 7 and 8. A similar fiange 0 is seen at the lower end of each member E adapted to engage around the front edge of a side a and to be similarly formed down against the inner side thereof. Tongues and e* are carred by and formed integrally with the members E and are adapted to engage through holes therefor in the sides a and to be bent over and flatten-ed down against the sides thereof so as to hold the members E in place. It will at once be seen that the fianges 6 and (2 on the plates E prevent the sides A from splitting at their upper ends while the fianges e serve to hold the upper step t in place and as an aid in holding the parts in relative position screws 77 may be used as indicated.

The reinforcing and connectng plates E are formed in pairs, as will at once be understood, and each one is provided with a hole therethrough just under the upper step t of the lower section A to receive the connecting rod O later to be described.

A connecting plate P is secured on and near the upper end of each side member b of the rear section B. These plates eXtend across the inner faces of the sides b and have fianges on the ends thereof for engag ing over the edges of the sides Z) and each may be held in place by means of screws or rivets, not shown. Through each of these plates P there is provided a hole for receiving the connecting rod O which extends through the sides B the plates P, the reinforcing and connecting members E and between the side members A ust under the up per step t.

The connecting rod O comprises a bolt ot' substantially the usual Construction of sufllcient length to engage through the parts in the manner above described. It will at once be seen that the plates E cannot be forced together by the operation of the bolt O and the usual nut 0 on either or each end thereof, but, in order to prevent an undue binding action between the sections of the ladder, I .prefer to provide a ferrule 0 on each end of the bolt O extendng through the sides B and the plates P and abutting at one end against a Washer w, located between the plates E and P for the purpose of separating them slightly, and at its other end against a Washer w under the head or nut 0 at the end of the bolt 0.

For holding the parts in proper relative position when used as a step ladder and to prevent their spreading a hook H may be connected by means of the usual screw' eye to the rear side of one of the steps or treads t of the lower section and a screw eye may be secured to one of the rungs 7" more nearly opposite thereto in the rear or upper section. I prefer that this hook H be inclined somewhat as indicated in order to prevent disengagement thereof by a forcing of the parts together at their lower ends.

When the parts are in eXtended position, as indicated in Fig. 2, for the purpose of prcventing the upper section from swinging downwardly. latches V are provided which are pivoted by means of screws u, as seen, against the insides of the sides a and held in proper position to be engaged bythe connecting central portion of the strap D by means of suitable pins o secured in the sides a. The strap D has offsets (Z therein adapted to receive and engage over the front edges of the sides a of the lower section. The strap D is conprising two members adapted to be pivotaliy connected and means for pivotally connecting them With the sides of the upper section engaging outside of, overlapping and in substantial alinement With the sides of the lower section When in eXtended position, such pivotal connect-ing means comprising' a reinforcing and. connecting plate on each side of the lower section at its upper end, each provided With a flange adapted to engage over the upper step of the lower section of the ladder and also With fianges adapted to engage, one around the front edge and the other around the rear edge of the corresponding` side member; a strap or plate engaging across the inside and around the edge of each side member of the upper PHILIP F. SWART.

`Witnesses HoMnR M. SWART, FRED. Gr. GILLESPIE.

copies of thi-s patent may be obtaned for five cents each, by addressng the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

